Happy School Year!

Happy School Year!

I love the start of a new school year!  I have so many ideas and new things I want to implement.  I want each of my students to feel that same sense of excitement for their first grade year.   

New School Year Wish

My favorite thing we do every first day of school centers around the book Happy School Year by Susan Milord.  We activate their schema by discussing birthday and New Year's celebration traditions.  We talk about how a new school year can be a celebration.  After reading the story, the students write their wishes for the new school year.

This year we also invited parents to write a wish for their child.  They wrote it on a paper sprinkle which we put on a cupcake and displayed in the hallway by the student wishes.  It's awesome to see the display of hopes and wishes for a new school year.

Of course, we then celebrate by giving each child a cupcake.  I light a candle on my cupcake (they pretend with their cupcakes), we count to three, shout "Happy School Year!" and make our wishes!  It's so much fun.  I know students go home excited about the new school year and tell their parents about their special day.